Federal jury indicts 27 gang members

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http://www.theknoxvillejournal.com/news/2010/federal-jury-indicts-27-gang-members.html Federal jury indicts 27 gang members

By Ben Cannon

A several-month-long investigation led to the June 15 indictment of 27 motorcycle gang members, including a Knox County resident.

The gang members were arrested for their alleged involvement in multiple crimes, with some of the more serious ones including narcotics distribution and attempted murder.

Working with the ATF, Knox County Sheriff's Officers arrested Mark Lester, a local member of the Outlaws Motorcycle Gang, as part of a a multi-state indictment from a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia. Lester also allegedly robbed an undercover KCSO officer in January at gunpoint.

The grand jury issued a 12-count indictment implicating members of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gang for crimes including attempted murder, kidnapping, assault, robbery, extortion witness intimidation, narcotics distribution, illegal gambling and weapons violations.

"… The Outlaws Motorcycle Gang is a highly organized criminal enterprise with a defined, multi-level chain of command," according to information obtained from KCSO.

Members and leaders of the gang from Wisconsin, Maine, Montana, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina and Virginia were arrested after the grand jury issued the indictments last week.

KCSO officer Joe Linger was reportedly robbed at gunpoint by Lester on New Year's Eve of this year while working undercover in the 14 month investigation that led to the federal indictments. According to information from the sheriff's office, Linger was recruited by Lester as a member of the gang, and while undercover, "saw members of the gang participate in drugs and weapons activities."